


Make Her Strong

by blushinglovely



Category: Yellowstone (TV 2018)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:20:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26922757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blushinglovely/pseuds/blushinglovely
Summary: Beth and Rip visit Kayce and Monica at the hospital after the birth of their new baby.  This is not my usual writing styles but the idea has been painting itself in mind for weeks.Second Chapter added- Beth finally shares an old secret with a Rip, how will he react? Hope you enjoy, please leave feedback about this story...
Relationships: Beth Dutton/Rip Wheeler
Comments: 7
Kudos: 39





	1. Chapter 1

There weren't many things in the great big world that made Beth Dutton nervous, but it appeared she had found one today. Feeling light-headed as the elevator moved up the floors of the building, she leaned her head down on Rip's shoulder to ground herself and focused on controlling her breathing. Sensing that this was a big deal for her, Rip released his light hold on her hand and began a firm yet comforting stroke up and down her back. At last the elevator stopped and the doors slid open.

Beth eyed the sign giving directions to the areas of the hospital floor. Maternity to the right, she noted as Rip took her hand and pulled her down the hallway.

"You gonna be ok with this?" Rip asked again, for the third time since they left the ranch in the late afternoon sunlight after receiving news that Monica had delivered a healthy baby girl and all was well.

"Yes, I can do this for Kayce. But I'm glad you came with me," Beth said looking at the big ranch foreman who she would call her husband in two weeks.

John Dutton had stopped by the hospital while he was in town earlier in the day to await the birth of his second grandchild. He had waited in the lobby for news of the birth from his son. It was something he regretted not experiencing when Tate, his first grandchild, was born. Seeing the joy on your own child's face as they proudly share the news of their new arrival was something that should not be missed. John now knew he'd never forget the pride he saw in Kayce's eyes as he came out to announce to John and Monica's grandfather that the baby was a healthy baby girl and both mom and baby were doing well. John had hung around the hospital until he was allowed to go in to see the new infant and to congratulate Monica in person. Holding the little bundle of joy brought back years of memories as John recalled passing 3 newborns between himself and his late wife, Evelyn. The thought made him wistful and miss his wife in a new way, thinking of her missing out on the opportunity to ever hold a grandchild. Fate was a bitter foe it seemed. Happy but a little melancholy, John had left the hospital to head home and reassured Kayce that Beth and Rip would be in for a visit closer to dinner time.

As Beth walked down the hallway to the maternity ward she despised the smell of the antiseptic, the shine of the tile floor, the hum of medical equipment. Seven months had passed since the explosion at her office that had left Beth in a hospital bed for over a week and weeks of time healing at home. Beth still hated the reminder of her time here, confused from a concussion, confined to a bed with limited movement to make sure her wounds, bruises, and slight burns could heal appropriately, it had not been an easy recovery. Beth knew she was damn lucky to even be alive given her closeness to the explosion but she still hated the idea of visiting the hospital again. Now the addition of visiting the maternity ward, a place she'd gladly visit herself but never could seemed like a slap in the face. Squaring her shoulders at the protected entrance to the maternity ward she buzzed the button for a nurse to permit them in to visit. This was about family and about supporting Kayce and Monica and Beth knew she'd suffer through for that reason alone.

The nurse permitted Beth and Rip into the ward and brought them to the door outside Monica's room. At the nurse's knock Kayce came to the door. He stepped out and gave Beth a big hug as she congratulated him. He shook Rip's hand and shared that his daughter's name was Evelyn Grace, "Evie" for short. Beth's eyes misted up at the mention of her mother's name and she silently thanked Monica for giving Kayce this gift. He was Evelyn's favorite after all.

Taking the couple by surprise, Kayce asked if Beth and Rip would sit with the baby so he could get dinner and coffee at the hospital cafeteria. He explained that Monica had just been given pain medication again and the fact that she'd labored through most of the night until after lunch time had wiped her out and Kayce wanted her to rest until the baby had to nurse again. Seeing the tiredness in Kayce’s eyes Beth nervously agreed and followed Kayce into the hospital room with Rip at her heals.

The room was large with a large tub in the corner, a recliner chair in another corner, a hospital bed with all kinds of equipment centered on one wall and a small hospital bassinet in the fading sunlight under the large window. Kayce explained in a quiet voice that they were letting Monica and the baby stay in the birthing room for now since the room was so much bigger and more comfortable and because there were three other birthing rooms open in case other patients came in in labor. Beth eyed the room as a foreign land and took in what must be all the equipment potentially needed for birthing a child. It felt odd and a little bitter to know that she was a woman who'd never experience this 'right of passage' for most women. Monica, laying on her side dozed without even knowing how lucky she was, Beth thought.

Rip noticed Beth taking it all in and he had eyes only for her. He monitored her every movement, her every breath, knowing that this was a burden Beth seemed to carry like a scarlet letter around her neck. Did Kayce know he wondered? Who, if anyone, in the family knew that Beth could never have children?

Beth and Rip's thoughts were both interrupted as Kayce went to the bassinet and took out the tiny little bundle swaddled in a standard hospital striped blanket with a tiny pink cap on her head. Kayce walked over to Beth and very proudly showed off his newest pride and joy. "Evie, meet your Aunt Beth and your soon-to-be Uncle Rip," Kayce said as he held the infant up as if for her to see her family.

The baby squirmed around in her blanket and made small little sounds before settling back in to sleep. Beth stared at her in awe, having never been this near to a newborn baby other than Kayce and she barely remembered him being so little. "She just nursed before you got here so she should be fine long enough for me to run down stairs for thirty minutes. Here, why don't you hold her?" Kayce said as he shifted the bundle to place her in Beth's arms.

Rip could see the panic in Beth's eyes and he noticed that Kayce saw it too. Kayce must have assumed that Beth was just nervous about holding the baby though as he said, "Here, its not hard Beth. She won't break, you just have to keep support under her head and neck when you move her and hold her. She's not strong enough to support her own head yet. Otherwise you just hold her in your arms. If she starts to fuss you can walk her or rock her. There's a pacifier in the bassinet, but use it as a last resort. We don't want her getting confused while she's still learning to nurse." Kayce shifted the baby into Beth's arms and showed her how to keep the baby's head supported on her elbow and to keep a hand at the back of her head and neck to move her. Beth accepted the baby like a rare gift and eased into the recliner not sure that her legs would hold her up for much longer and certainly not wanting to put the baby at risk.

Seeing Beth and Evie settled into the chair, Kayce turned to Rip and said "call my cell if you need me, I'll just be downstairs. And thanks for giving me a little break before the night shift." Kayce checking on Monica, who appeared to still be in a deep sleep, then slipped out the door.

Rip pulled a smaller chair up beside the rocking recliner where Beth held the sweet little babe. "You okay?" He asked as he reach out a finger to stroke the baby's soft cheek.

"Yeah," Beth's voice was muffled with tears, the image of Rip's finger stroking the baby's cheek almost ripped her in two. What if she'd made another choice twenty years ago? Would Rip have stroked their baby's cheek this way? The baby grunted and wiggled until she got her arm loose from the swaddle. Evie seemed to swat her first at Rip's hand and they both quietly laughed distracted by the sweet babe. Evie opened her eyes and seemed to stare straight at Beth before she started to whimper.

"Oh, she's going to fuss," Beth said nervously, looking at Rip for what to do.

"Its ok, Kayce said to walk her or rock her." Rip reminded Beth.

Beth snuggled Evie a little closer in her arm and leaned back to rock the recliner. The baby rooted around against Beth's breast. Beth let out a nervous giggle, "You won't find any dinner there, sweet girl." Beth shifted the baby's face away from her chest then started to rock her. Rip looked on, taking in this softer side to Beth that few probably even knew existed. As Evie seemed to settle back in to contentment and close her eyes again, he noticed Beth's body relax and a pretty little smile come to her face.

"Do you want to hold her?" Beth asked Rip looking over at him.

"You are doing great honey, and I'm used to newborn calves or colts that are a lot bigger than this little Miss..." Rip said as he enjoyed watching Beth snuggle the baby. "I'll help Kayce teach her to ride when she's a little older. Right now she's a little too breakable for me. Besides, she seems to really be enjoying snuggling with her favorite aunt right now, even if you can't feed her with those gorgeous breast of yours..." Rip chuckled when Beth shushed him, as if the baby could understand the suggestive talk already.

The time passed too quickly and soon Kayce was returning with a fully belly and a large to-go cup of coffee to make it through a few more hours. "How was she?" he asked after checking on Monica who was still peacefully resting.

"She was a good girl and didn't fuss as all," Beth proudly shared as she continued to hold her in the crook of her arm.

Kayce walked over to look at his new daughter again, "I'm know I'm partial but isn't she gorgeous?" he asked.

"She's beautiful, brother. You and Monica did so well." Beth reluctantly passed the sweet baby back to Kayce who propped the baby up on his chest and baby wiggled into a comfortable position and gave a contented little sigh.

Rip took Beth's hand and played with his mother's engagement ring on her left hand. Beth smiled and stood, ready to make her exit. "Call us if you need anything while you are here, Kayce. And..well, when you come home to the ranch if you need help...just know you can call us. I can sit with Monica and the baby if that helps since I'm still working from home. But someone else might have to do the diapers." Beth ended with a laugh trying to lighten the moment.

Kayce smiled and said thank you.

When Beth got to the door she turned back looking at her baby brother who was now a grown man snuggling his own sweet baby girl. She couldn't leave the words in her mind unsaid... "Kayce, make her strong. You and Monica have to teach her how to be a strong woman in this world and in this family. But make sure you teach her its ok to make mistakes, okay to show weakness to the people she trusts and loves, make sure she knows you will love her no matter what. Okay, Kayce?" Beth whispered the last words, her throat tight with unshed tears as she expressed the things she had longed for during her childhood growing up as the lone female Dutton offspring.

Kayce studied Beth for moment and nodded "We will, Beth. She'll never doubt that she's loved and that we are here for her."

Beth softly smiled. "Bye, little brother," she said as she softly closed the door. She leaned against it and let out her breath before gulping in another. Rip took her hand and pulled her down the hall, out of the ward, back to the elevator. She didn't speak as Rip rubbed her back on the ride down the elevator. As soon as they stepped out the hospital doors Beth's tense shoulders seemed to relax. They made their way toward Beth's Mercedes. Rip opened the passenger door for Beth, but tipped her chin up before she climbed in. He whispered, "You okay, Beth?" not sure what all was going through her mind.

"Yes, I'm okay. I'm not sure if it was harder being back in that hospital period or being in the maternity ward. I mean I'll never be okay that I can't give us babies, Rip. But at least God saw fit to make me an aunt again. Hell, what kind of role model would I be for a kid anyway. I'll probably have Evie saying bad words before she's two." Beth tried to make light of the situation. "How do you feel about being an uncle, huh?"

Rip chuckled as he stroked up and down Beth's arms. Grateful that his future bride was alive and doing so well after he thought he might lose her seven months ago. "I think I'll like it. No kids to worry about sneaking into the bedroom and interrupted our loving every night, but still around for us to spoil and enjoy spending time with them." Rip was glad Beth's spirits seemed to have risen since they had escaped the confines of the hospital. "Hey, we're never in town this late, you want to get dinner, maybe go dancing..." Rip lets his words fall off as he eyed Beth.

"Why, Rip Wheeler, are you asking me on a date?" Beth smiled and was immediately feeling even better.

Rip leaned in for a teasing kiss, "I guess I am, fiancée."

"Well, its about damn time. Only took you 20 years. Take me to that little Italian place on 2nd Street, okay? They have steak, too." Beth kissed Rip and quickly slid into the car eager for a real date with her man and looking forward to some dancing... dancing always led to one thing between them and it was her favorite thing.


	2. Regret

Two days later Kayce, Monica and Tate brought baby Evie home to the Dutton family lodge on Yellowstone Ranch. They spent the late afternoon settling in and all of the other Duttons offered helped but gave the family privacy to settle into a new routine. Beth was eager yet nervous to visit the new baby again and offered to come sit with Monica and Evie the next day if Kayce needed to help around the ranch. Plans were made for Beth and Rip to join the family for breakfast and for Beth to stay on for awhile for Kayce to check a couple of pastures, then he'd return by lunch to relieve Monica for a few hours.

Gator was just finishing placing the final platters of food on the table as Beth and Rip met John at the entrance to the dining room. "Well, thanks for joining us today, Rip. Maybe Beth will make it through the entire meal this morning," John smirked as he allowed Beth to proceed him into the room.

"Daddy, don't start, its too early, " Beth said as she motioned for Rip to sit beside her at the table. Kayce, Monica, and Tate were already seated and a small baby rocker sat in the floor in the corner of the room with a sleeping Evie resting inside.

The men made business talk about the ranch and the daily chores. Beth quietly observed Monica to see how tired she was. Monica pestered Tate to eat fruit with his breakfast and looked tired, but still had that "momma" glow about her as she affectionately checked the newborn with her eyes every few minutes.

Evie started to whimper about halfway through the morning meal. Kayce stood to get the baby, but Beth offered to get her and John put a staying hand on Kayce's arm to make sure Beth had her opportunity to get the baby. John had been worried about how this new baby on the ranch would affect Beth and he was particularly nervous about the nearness of the upcoming nuptials for Beth and Rip. Rip was a grounding force for Beth, but she was already pretty high strung these days with wedding planning and returning to work part time (which seemed more like full-time compared to Beth's old schedule). John assumed Rip knew that Beth couldn't give him a child, but one could never be sure and John wanted nothing to risk the marriage of his baby girl to the ranch's most steady protector, Rip.

Beth awkwardly picked the baby up, remembering to support her head, and brought her up to lean against her chest and rest her head on Beth's shoulder. Evie continued to fuss so Beth moved her body up and down in a soothing rhythm and Evie quieted. Beth smiled with pride and walked back toward her seat but didn't sit down. Beth stood by her chair gently bouncing the baby and rubbing her little back as everyone watched her with the baby. Geeze, she must really look like an alien for everyone to be watching her with such intent eyes. Monica smiled first as Evie gave a quiet little burp and John and Kayce both chuckled. With Evie seeming content now, Beth carefully lowered herself back to her seat at the table beside Rip with the on her shoulder. Rip reached out a hand to rub the baby's soft black hair and smiled at Beth. "Monica, make sure you let Beth change the first dirty diaper of the day," Rip joked as he tried to lighten the mood for everyone.

Beth cut her eyes at Rip, "stay near the stables, Rip, and we'll call you up to help change it."

The meal continued and soon the men and Tate headed to the barn after saying their farewells to the ladies. Gator came in to clean up the meal and Monica carried the rocker to the living area as Beth followed, still holding the baby.

"If you are okay with her for a little longer, I'll take a shower real quick. I was going to take one before breakfast, but she was nursing," Monica explained.

"Sure, I don't mind," Beth said settling into the couch cushions with the baby.

Oh, what holding this tiny, squirmy bundle did to Beth's insides. It made her heart ache in a way nothing had before, not in a raw way, but in a dull ache that seemed to have carried over for years. Beth planned to be a permanent fixture in her life and to be more involved with Tate from now on. "Just wait until we can go shopping, sweet Evie. The boys will teach you how to ride and be a cowgirl, your momma will teach to a strong native woman, and I'll teach you how to be smart at whatever passion you pick and how to dress for every occasion. We'll make you a viper in the arena, in the boardroom, or wherever you choose for your future. And as soon as you are big enough I'll take you on some epic shopping trips, just us girls."

Beth was humming and rocking the baby when Monica returned looking tired but refreshed. "Thanks, Beth. I can't tell you how much more alive I feel. It's crazy how much energy these little ones will suck out of you waking every two hours demanding to be fed."

"She eats every two hours?" Beth asked, making conversation, but also knowing nothing about the patterns of infants. "And you nurse her each time?"

"Yes, if she's like Tate, she'll move to eating about every three hours in a week or two and I tell you that extra hour in between in the middle of the night is a life saver. I'll pump and little her take a bottle some in a few weeks, but unless I need to go out its much easier to just nurse her than to pump it and give her a bottle," Monica replied.

Beth felt grossly uninformed about all these things, but understanding what she was missing was somehow important to her. "So you can just pump the milk into a bottle and store it, like we'd do for a calf that's momma won't take to it?" Beth asked.

Monica chuckled, "Yeah, I'm not sure how I feel about the comparison to a cow right now, but I have an electric pump that does the work for me, I just sit there. You know, I know we aren't super close, Beth, but if the time comes and you and Rip have a baby, I can help you figure this stuff out. It's hard without a mother to coach you, my sister-in-law taught me the most with Tate." Monica studied the change on Beth's face.

"Oh, I don't think Rip and I will have.. I, um. I can't have children, Monica," there it was, the third time she'd said the words out loud; once to John, once to Rip, and now to Monica.

Monica looked away, "I'm sorry Beth. I didn't know, or I wouldn't have suggested..." her voice faded away.

"Its okay, its not something I go around advertising. I don't know that Kayce knows unless Dad told him. And I only told Dad a few weeks before we were all attacked. You can, um, tell him if you want, so I don't have to. There's not really a good way to bring it up." Beth felt clammy even talking about talking about it.

"I will tell him, if that's what you want. Are you sure, you've, uh, had a doctor confirm it? Sometimes it can just take a long time," Monica suggested, assuming maybe Beth and Rip had been trying for a while.

"I know for sure. Its been confirmed that its completely impossible," Beth thought about telling Monica the full story. To empathize that the very idea as to force sterilization of indigenous woman who were seeking abortions seemed not only barbaric, but racist. But Beth had not brought herself to tell Rip that information yet, and it seemed unfair to share that with her sister-in-law before Rip. She'd have to tell him soon, he deserved to know before the wedding. But every time she thought about telling Rip, she got scared that she might somehow lose him over it. "Anyway, I hope you won't mind if Rip and I become more involved with Tate and Evie. I've already started Tate a college fund and I'll do the same for Evie now that she's arrived. Maybe we could even babysit them every now and then for you and Kayce to go out."

"We'd like that, Beth. But a college fund, that's too much," Monica found this new side of Beth utterly surprising.

"I've got plenty of money, Monica. Not ranch money, but my own. I feels right to do something like that for them. It's not a handout, its just a gift. And I just promised Evie some shopping trips when she gets older while you were in the shower, so that will be fun," Beth tried to lighten the mood in the room.

In the distance Beth's phone started to ring. "It's probably Bob calling about work," Beth explained, seeing that it was already 8:05 and handing the baby back to Monica before moving toward her phone in her laptop bag.

Beth worked on her computer on and off for a few hours, checking periodically to see if Monica needed anything. She talked about some of her final decisions for the wedding that was now 10 days away and even helped change Evie's diaper (not a messy one, thank God!). She brought Monica drinks multiple times and some tylenol after Evie's last nursing and diaper change before lunch.

—————————————

It was close to lunch time at the barn when John went seeking out Rip to make sure he joined the family for lunch back at the lodge. He found him brushing down his horse after the morning ride to pasture 8. Kayce was outside on the phone with livestock commissioner business and the two men were alone.

"You about ready to head to the house for lunch?" John asked Rip.

"Yes, sir, almost finished here," Rip replied.

John cleared his throat, "So, um, how do you think Beth is doing with being around the new baby?"

Rip looked away and was suddenly very intent on the job at hand, "I think she's learning. You know she's not very experienced with all of this."

John had assumed Rip knew about Beth's sterilization but now he wasn't so sure. "Have you all, uh, talked about having kids?"

The conversation felt like a dangerous dance to Rip. "You know we aren't spring chickens, sir, I'm not sure that kids will be in the plan for us."

John nodded and studied Rip, "Well you should talk that out before you get married, I reckon. Make sure you are both on the same page."

John turned and started for the lodge, calling over his shoulder, "Come on Kayce, Rip, lunch will be on the table."

—-

Later that evening as they prepared for bed, Rip could feel the nervous energy bouncing off Beth as she fidgeted with this and that in their bedroom. "Are you sure everything went okay this morning with Monica and the baby?" Rip finally asked.

"Oh, yeah, I don't think she's so scary anymore." Beth shrugged her shoulders and continued, "I, um, told Monica that I couldn't have children. She had asked our plans, and it just came up. I told her she could tell Kayce. Dad already knows."

Rip still felt the tension in Beth, "Yeah, your dad asked if we had talked about having children, I wasn't sure if he knew, so I told him I wasn't sure that was in the cards for us."

Rip walked over to Beth to still her anxious movements and to say "I know it hurts you to not be able to have children, but it's really okay if we can't. I never thought I'd be lucky enough to have you, Beth. I keep waiting to wake-up and this all be a dream and you are really still living in Salt Lake and I'm admiring you from afar at Easter and Christmas. You really are all I need, Beth."

Beth knew she had to tell Rip all of it. "I have to tell you something important, Rip. And I want to make you promise me that you won't leave me after I tell you, but that wouldn't be fair to you."

A knot formed in Rip's stomach as the words tumbled out of Beth's mouth. "There is nothing you could tell me that would make me leave you, Beth."

"Don't be so sure," Beth started. She pulled out of Rip's embrace and began pacing the floor again. She'd thought about how to tell him for days, months, maybe years, but the words had never come together for her to practice so she just had to tell him. "Rip, the reason I can't have children, is because one time I was pregnant. I was so scared, I didn't know what to do, I couldn't imagine raising a child, so I went to Jamie for help." Beth clenched her fists at the mention of Jamie's name. Rip was starting to see that whatever Beth was going to tell him would not only explain why she couldn't have children but also why she had such a hatred for Jamie.

Beth continued "Jamie took me to the clinic on the res, too many people in town could recognize the Dutton name and start gossip about an abortion. I trusted him to make sure it was safe, I was fucking scared and I thought he could help me. Anyway, turns out at the res the only way to get an abortion is to also be sterilized. No one asked me, I never knew. I thought it was standard procedure to be put to sleep for the abortion. I trusted Jamie to take care of all the details. Then when I turned 20 and went to an OB-GYN for the first time they asked when and why I'd had my tubes tied. I didn't know what they meant, I explained about the abortion and they said it was an old but common practice to force indigenous women to be sterilized if they had an abortion. I came home and confronted Jamie and he said he knew, that they'd told him they would do it, but he didn't think I'd know or care." Beth's voice shook with hatred toward Jamie and her ignorant 16 year old self.

Rip understood everything now about the issues with Jamie. "That son-of-a-bitch! I can't believe it, I mean I guess I can, but he had no right to decide that for you."

Now came the hard part "There's more, Rip. I was 16 when it happened, I had just turned 16..." She waited for Rip's reaction.

Rip studied her, thinking to the beginning of their young relationship. "It was mine? The baby was mine?" Rip's voice raised almost to a shout as pain flooded through him that Beth would keep that from him, too.

"Yes, Rip, I went for the abortion when I told you I went to get the pregnancy test. It was yours." Tears rolled down Beth's cheeks and she felt the burden of hiding that fact lift off her heart only to be replaced by regret as she saw the intense pain in Rip's eyes as he stared at her.

"You didn't think I deserved to know, you didn't bother to tell me for 20 fucking years?" Rip stormed down the stairs and out on to the dark porch lit only by the glow of the moon.

Well it was out there now, Beth thought, now to see if their relationship could survive it. She slowly walked down the stairs giving Rip time to take in what he'd just learned. She stopped at the doorway to the porch and closely watched Rip as he paced and cussed and finally stopped and hung his head as if mourning the loss of a child he never knew existed until today.

"I'm sorry, Rip. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I'm sorry I didn't tell you then. We were just so young, I was afraid you'd want me to keep it and how would we have raised a child, Rip? What, get married at 16 and 17 and live off Daddy the rest of our lives, no thank you." Beth stumbled over the words.

Rip turned to look at Beth with pain in his eyes, "You still should have told me, maybe we could have made a plan for a safer option, if nothing else, Beth."

Beth continued to explain, "In hindsight I see that. God, how I wish I'd gone to you or Dad and made a better plan, than to ask Jamie for damn help. But I also didn't think you could handle losing one more thing in your life, Rip. The pain over losing your mother and your brother was still so raw for you and I wanted to protect you. But I see now, that that was wrong...Don't leave me, Rip," the last words came out as a whisper.

Feeling oddly defeated and shaken Rip walked closer to Beth, "I'll never leave you, by now you should know there is nothing you can say or do to make me leave you. I love you too much. I guess I'm guilty, too. I should have protected you. We were just kids, but I knew how babies were made and I didn't do anything to prevent it or protect you." He reached out to run the back of one hand over Beth's cheek to wipe away the tears there.

"There's no way to reverse it, I've seen 3 specialist over the last 20 years. So all you get is a partial woman, Rip. I'm still afraid one day you'll regret not marrying a woman who can pass on your name to children." Beth hung her head.

Rip tipped up her chin, "Don't ever say that. You are more woman than three-fourths the women in this world. I'll never regret marrying you. It's what I've wanted for as long as I've known you."

"If its important to you, we can look at adoption..." Beth tried to appease Rip in her mind.

"Beth, I've already told you, children are not important to me. I just want you. If they are important to you then we can talk about adoption or fostering," Rip recalled the conversation with John in the barn earlier today.

"I think I'm content to just be the doting aunt," Beth said. "You and I have wasted so many years apart I'm happy just to be with you, too, baby."

Rip pulled Beth in for a long, sincere embrace before he gave her a deep kiss. "I love you and I always will love you, no matter what."

"Thank you for forgiving me, Rip. I love you no matter what, too," Beth pulled him back inside out of the cold night air.

Rip's eyes got serious once again. "You know this is one more reason for me to kill Jamie, when we finally find him, right?"

"You'll have to try to beat me to it," Beth noted angrily.

The couple made their way upstairs to the bedroom and offered each other love and forgiveness until the wee hours of the morning. Finally, sated around 1:30, Beth reminded Rip in a whisper, “only 9 days until I can call you mine forever.”


End file.
